I'M PROOF THIS WORKS

Hailey Mann's life was saved by a miracle drug but NHS plans to stop giving it to kids because of the cost. Cystic fibrosis patient says the decision is devastating and will ruin children's lives

- VIVIENNE AITKEN

A YOUNG woman with cystic fibrosis has blasted plans to stop the NHS giving a miracle drug to children, saying she is "living proof" it saves lives.

Hailey Mann was treated with medication Kaftrio after a Daily Record campaign to make it available to all.

Hailey, now a healthy 27-year-old, had been close to death before getting the drug and has pleaded with health chiefs to continue approval for children.

Bosses want to withdraw the treatment for new CF patients mostly children and young people - due to its costs of about £100,000 a year per patient for the NHS.

Hailey said: "It feels like such a backward step. I am living, breathing proof of how it works.

"They are revoking all the hard work which was done by campaigners to get this drug. It is absolutely awful. It makes me so angry.

"They will be handing these children a death sentence.

"I just can't get my head around the possibility that the NHS could take away something so life-changing for everyone else.

"Kaftrio can stabilise patients before their health deteriorates, before their lungs are so severely damaged that the only place left for them to go is transplant.

"I know they say they have to cut costs because it is too expensive but if that's the reason, they have to think about the fact it is cost-effective because you have to consider the huge amount of antibiotics, the treatments, the hospital stays.